Driving mechanism



C. G..THOMPSON.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1921.

1,392,465. v. Patented 0013.4,1921.

UNITED STATES.

CARL G. 'rrroivrrson, or KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE;

. DRIVING" MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters latent.

lateetee 9M,- 4 .3.2.1-

Application tiled February 12, 19 21. Serial N o. 444,421. i

To all whom itvmay concern:

Be it known thatI, CARL THQMBSON, a citizenofthe United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Driving ;Mechanism, of which the following isla specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for operating gyratorydevices, and more particularly for operating gyr atory chop graders or shaking bolts which are provided with sieves and which are suspended from suitable supports and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed whereby the gyratory device is operated without any sudden jerks.

In the drawings, Figurelis a side View of the upper end portion of a gyratory device, such as a chop grader, provided with a driving mechanism according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the driving mechanism, turned around one quarter from the position shown in Fig. 1, with a portion of the driving pulley and one of the dash-pots in section, and drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the driving mechanism,

' from below. Fig. 4 is a section of the stem of the oil reservoir, showing the valve, and is drawn to a larger scale.

The sifter casing 5, Or other gyratory device, is suspended from rafters 6, by means of resilient rods 7 which permit the casing to gyrate freely in a horizontal plane. The sieves and other devices for grading the flour are arranged inside the casing 5, and are of any approved construction.

In order to gyrate the casing, or other similar device, a vertical shaft 8 is ournaled in a bearing 9 secured to the upper part of the casing. This shaft is revolved by means of the belt pulley 10, and the driving belt is supported and guided in any approved way so that it is always taut. In operating a chop grader of considerable height, two similar driving mechanisms are provided,

and are arranged one above and the other below the casing.

A collar 12 is secured on the driving shaft 8, and arms 14 provided with weights 15 are pivoted to this collar by a pin 16. Two arms are preferably provided, and are arranged one on each side of the shaft and parallel to each other, and they are pivoted to one side of the axis of the shaft 8 so that the pivot pin 16 clears the shaft, The weights are preferably hollow metal balls filled with accordingto the power required.

A collar 18 is secured to the shaft 8 below the collar 12, and is provided with ahbean mg 19 onone side; The bearing is pro vided with a cap 20 which'is removablea- A horlzontal rock-shaft 21 is journaled in the bearing '20, and a dash-pot 'eylinder22 is secured on each end of it. These cylinders have covers 24; and 25. Pistons 26'are'slidable inthe cylinders, and have piston-rods shot, and more or less shot is placed in them '27 which project through packings 28, or stuffing-boxes on the covers'25. These pis-,

ton-rods are pivoted by a pin or pins 29 to the arms 14 a little above the weighted balls.

The rock-shaft 21 is arrangedon theiope posite sideof the shaftc8 from the pivot pin 16 of the weighted arms. A pipe or passage 30 is provided for connecting together the end portions of each dash-pot cylinder on opposite sides of its piston, and this pipe is provided with a valve 31 for regulating the passage of fluid from one end of the cylinder to the other. Oil or glycerin is preferably used in the cylinders, and each cylinder has a reservoir 32 for oil secured to its upper side.

Each reservoir is connected to its cylinder by a tubular stem 33 having a valve seat 34 in it. A conical valve 35 is provided for closing the passage through the valve seat, and it opens downwardly. The stem 36 of the valve has a conical support 37 provided with openings 38 which permit oil to descend from the reservoir, when the valve is open, and fill the cylinder. The valve 35 is closed automatically by the pressure in the cylinder, and it prevents oil from being forced upwardly into the reservoir.

When the driving shaft 8 is revolved at a predetermined speed the weighted balls are thrown outwardly and pivotally by centrifugal force to the positions shown in the dotted lines, so that they gyrate the chop grader or other device. The dash-pots prevent the arms from moving suddenly, particularly when the machine is being stopped and started, which sudden movements are found to be very disadvantageous, as when the arms fly out too quickly, certain essential parts and attachments of a chop grader are liable to be broken.

What I claim is:

1. he com inat n, with a sy s vice, of a driving shaft journaled therein, a weighted driving arm pivotally connected with the said shaft, and a dash-pot cylinder closed at each end and provided with a piston and piston-rod, said dash-pot cylinder and its iston-rod being operatively connected with the said shaft and arm and controlling the pivotal movements of'the arm ineach direction.

2. The combination, with a gyratory device, of a driving shaft journaled therein,

two weighted'driv'ing arms pivotally connected with the said shaft and arranged one on'each side of it and substantially parallel to each other, and a dash-pot device arranged between the said shaft and the two arms and controlling the pivotal movements of the said arms. 7

3. The combination,'with a'gyratory device, of a drivingshaft journaled therein, two weighted driving arms pivotally connected'with the said shaft and having their pivot arranged on one side'of its axis, 'and a dash-pot device pivotally connected with the said shaft and having its pivot arranged on the other side of the axis of the shaft from the pivot of the driving arms, and means which connect the dash-pot device with the cured one at each end of the rock-shaft and provided with pistons and: piston-rods which are operatively connectedwiththe two driv 111g arms. 7 Q

' 5. The combination, with a gyratory device, of a driving shaft journaledtherein, a weighted driving arm pivotally connected with the said shaft, a dash-pot closedat each 1 end and provided with a piston and piston rod, said dash-pot and its piston-rod-b'eing operatively connected with the said shaft.

and arm, and a reservoir for fluid provided with an'automatic' outlet valve and connected 7 with the dash-pot and operating to keep each" end portion of it filled with fluid which controls the pivotal movements of'the' said arms.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

CARL d riioMrsox. 

